This invention relates to a handle assembly for a compressed air tank, and more particularly to a handle assembly which may be used to manipulate scuba air tanks.
Conventional compressed air tanks such as scuba tanks are often fairly heavy, bulky, and awkward to handle. For example, a standard scuba tank is approximately 26 inches in height, 7 inches in diameter and weighs approximately 35 pounds when empty and 40 pounds when fully charged with compressed air. A person may carry such a tank by cradling it in his arms or alternatively by installing the tank into a conventional scuba backpack and then lifting the backpack and tank onto his back. However, both of these techniques are obviously quite cumbersome, tedious and inconvenient.
Present scuba tanks do not provide any type of adequate hand hold. In order to manipulate the tank by hand the driver, dive shop personnel or boat operator typically must grasp the valve that extends from the top of the tank. This is unsatisfactory because the valve provides a fairly insecure grip, and the tank is likely to slip out of the person's hand and fall to the ground. Inasmuch as most conventional tanks do not provide protection for the valve or the tank wall, this can cause significant damage to either the wall of the tank or the valve. A dropped tank also presents the danger of foot or leg injury.
The lack of a satisfactory grip or handle on conventional tanks also presents difficulties during underwater emergencies. For example, situations may arise when a diver in trouble must hold onto a rescue diver who is attempting to pull the troubled diver to safety. Often the only hand holds that are available in such situations are the hoses that emerge from the tank. However, using hoses in this manner is clearly dangerous and undesirable. If the diver in trouble disrupts or disconnects one of the hoses, an even greater emergency may be caused.